Atom

When I first moved to Tokyo in 2008, Atom was already one of the city’s most popular clubs. Now, a decade later, it has firmly cemented its status as a Tokyo nightlife legend. With three floors pumping different types of music, DJs rotating in and out throughout the evening plus all the obligatory neon lights and fog to seal the deal, there is a reason people keep coming here.

Because Atom is so popular, it tends to get incredibly packed late at night. Not surprisingly, the bartenders get less friendly as the crowds increase so come early. Arrive before midnight and entry is only 1,000 yen ; plus, ladies get two free drinks with entry instead of the usual one. After midnight entry can be as much as 4,000 yen, depending upon the performer(s).
After security, there are small lockers for guests to store jackets, keys, purse, phone or anything else you don’t want to risk losing (or abusing) while drinking upstairs. 300 yen each but well worth it, especially during the winter.

Nearby: Club Harlem (to be hyperlinked) is right next door and will happily let you in if the notoriously tough bouncers at Atom will not.